The feminist movement and Jewish American life came together in the 1960s and 70s – each influencing the other. In this episode, we touch on Betty Friedan’s Feminine Mystique, the religious activism of women like Sally Priesand and the Ezrat Nashim organization. We will also explore how feminism and antisemitism intersect, from Elizabeth Cady Stanton’s Women’s Bible to the 1975 United Nations World Conference on Women in Mexico City which Betty Friedan, and fellow attendee Letty Cottin Pogrebin, founding editor of Ms. Magazine, called a turning point for many things to come.
The Jewish Story Season 5, Episode 3: Feminism and American Judaism
Introduction
Mike Feuer
Rabbi Mike Feuer teaches Striving for the Divine, Rav Kook, and Jewish History at Pardes. He studied at Yeshivat HaMivtar, the Mir Yeshiva, and Sulam Yaakov, where he received rabbinic ordination and later served as Educational Director. Mike’s teaching combines rigorous textual analysis with a deep love of the poetry and spirituality found in Torah.
Since making aliyah in 2001, he has been the program director of a post-high school yeshiva and taught history, Jewish thought, and Bible in several Jerusalem yeshivot and midrashot. Today, as a consultant, spiritual counselor and creator of the Jewish Story podcast, Mike is driven by the power of story to shape our world.